CBS Consumer Products has inked deals with publishers including Running Press, Titan Publishing, Eaglemoss, Abrams, and Chronicle Books to produce new entries in the Star Trek publishing portfolio. Arriving at retail in time for the holiday season, this year’s Star Trek book titles represent a doubling of the brand’s publishing output in less than five years. The franchise’s print business continues to expand as the books target wider audiences and are available in more formats.

In a year where classic brands are making a huge comeback, one brand that stands out among the rest is Star Trek. Chosen as TV Guide‘s No. 1 Cult Series of all time, Star Trek has always had a loyal fanbase of “Trekkies” to support the brand. And these fans are devoted. The first space shuttle was named Enterprise after an intensive write-in campaign from Star Trek fans to NASA.

WIth all the hype of the new movie Star Trek Into Darkness drawing in new fans, and the faithful following of already established Trekkies, CBS Consumer Products has signed on a slate of new licensees in order to bring the characters, ships, and all-else Star Trek to life. Check out some of the new products below:

More than four decades after they first squared off on an isolated desert planet, Captain Kirk faces off with the menancing Gorn species in a new video game from Namco. The two former foes go head-to-head in the Star Trek video game, released on April 23.

Additionally, Hasbro and Mattel launched new toy lines in support of the new movie’s theatrical release. Hasbro will offer a line of Kre-O Star Trek building sets, featuring the characters and spaceships from the franchise. These sets will include Kre-O bricks and new Kreon figures in the likeness of popular characters. Mattel has created a line of die-cast models inspired by the Star Trek franchise. The detailed miniatures include the U.S.S. Enterprise.

So, while I myself am nowhere near Trekkie status, it is easy to see that these new products help keep this classic brand current, and that is a major part of making any brand timeless. With more than 700 hours of entertainment across six TV series and 12 movies, and more than 70 million books in print, Star Trek will surely live long and prosper.

For more commentary from Ali, check back often. Views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Licensing Book as a whole. We hope that you will share your comments and feedback below. Until next time!

TVMania UK has announced that it has signed a three-year deal to produce clothing based on the Lego brand.

TVMania will tap into the appeal of the brand with an apparel range that will feature popular Lego lines such as Lego Friends, which is currently the No. 1 fastest growing girls’ toy in the UK, Lego Legends of Chima, Lego City, Lego Duplo, Lego Classic, and Lego Minifigure. TVMania UK will target a range of different retailers as the first phase of the apparel program is launched.

Called Thunderbirds and the Future of Science, the exhibition at Miraikan—Tokyo’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation—is an introduction to the technology that could shape tomorrow’s world. The exhibition has four main attractions: an advanced technology exhibit, a Thunderbirds 3-D theatre, a Thunderbirds gallery, and an interactive Thunderbirds attraction.

In the technology exhibit, companies and organizations will demonstrate real-world advanced machinery and technologies from modern Japan. Visitors can then compare them with the future lifestyles and technologies predicted for the late 21st century by the classic show Thunderbirds nearly 50 years ago.

The exhibition will also include a Thunderbirds screening theatre, using the latest in 3-D technology; a gallery of models of vehicles and gadgets from the show, donated to the exhibition by some of Japan’s many Thunderbirds enthusiasts; and an interactive attraction which will give visitors the chance to become part of a rescue team on a mission with Thunderbird 2.

The exhibition is co-sponsored by Japanese companies including Fuji Television and Tohokushinsha Film Corporation, supported by a wide range of Japanese ministries, and has been put together with the cooperation of many Japanese media, science, and search and rescue groups. The Classic Thunderbirds brand will be prominent in the museum shop, which will stock various official goods as well as products in limited release at the exhibition.

Monkeez Makes a Difference has presented a third round of donations totaling nearly $15,000—for a total of $82,000 since the website was launched in October—to three charity partners including Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Samaritan’s Purse, and Best Friends Animal Society. Donations are awarded to the three charity partners each quarter based on children across the country who select one of three charities to direct 10 percent of the wholesale cost of each product through the first-of-its-kind program that teaches the importance of philanthropy.

Monkeez Makes a Difference has also been awarded The National Parenting Center’s Spring 2013 Seal of Approval, a program featuring independent testing conducted over an eight-week period where testers are encouraged to play with, build, read about, and judge by the reactions of the children, each product’s quality. Participants fill out questionnaires for each product they test, evaluating level of desirability, sturdiness, interactive stimulation and other ingredients essential in the make-up of a quality product. Test results are based on both statistical averaging and comments received from the parent and testers.